Donation Will Provide Food and Other Essentials to Students Facing Food Insecurity

HARTFORD, Conn., Oct. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With many facing increased financial strain as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stop & Shop today announced a $5,500 donation to the Middlesex Community College Magic Food Bus School Food Pantry. This grant will assist the MxCC Magic Food Bus pantry in providing nutritious options and basic necessities to students in needs.

“Many in our communities have been forced to face a new challenge as a result of COVID-19 – and that is hunger,” shares Maura O’Brien, Stop & Shop Manager of Community Relations. “Students face a unique set of difficulties and lessening the burden of food insecurity that many students face everyday will help them to focus on their education and their future. Stop & Shop is proud to assist in supporting the Middlesex Community College on-campus Magic Food Bus pantry, helping to ensure students have access to food to help them succeed.”

Stop & Shop’s donation will benefit MxCC students in need by offering them food and financial support to purchase groceries and other essentials. The Magic Food Bus pantry’s operation will focus on providing nutritious options to students. Stop & Shop will also provide students with nutrition education and other resources through its Nutrition Partners program, led by Stop & Shop’s team of registered dietitians.

“We are incredibly proud to launch this partnership with Stop & Shop to address food insecurity among our students,” adds college CEO Steven Minkler. “Since the Magic Food Bus opened in 2016, we have served over 3,000 students and their family members, providing them with non-perishable food items, toiletries, and other basic necessities. My heart goes out to these students, and my thanks go to the many volunteers, donors, foundations, and corporate partners who make all of this possible.”

A ribbon cutting ceremony held on Thursday, October 22^th at the Middlesex Community College campus located on 100 Training Hill Road in Middletown, Connecticut, commemorating the pantry’s opening, further solidifying Stop & Shop and Middlesex Community College’s commitment to eradicating food insecurity faced by students.

For more information on Stop & Shop’s programs to support local communities, visit https://stopandshop.com/community/.

For more information on Middlesex Community College’s Magic Food Bus, visit https://mxcc.edu/magic-food-bus/.

About Stop & Shop
A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, today’s Stop & Shop is refreshed, reenergized and inspired, delivering new conveniences for customers. Committed to helping its communities enjoy better food and better lives, Stop & Shop has a longstanding history of giving back to the neighborhoods it serves with a focus on fighting hunger and pediatric cancer care and research. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs nearly 60,000 associates and operates over 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit stopandshop.com.  

About Middlesex Community College:
Since 1966, Middlesex Community College has provided high-quality, affordable, and accessible education to a diverse population, enhancing the strengths of individuals through degree, certificate, and lifelong learning programs that lead to university transfer, employment, and an enriched awareness of our shared responsibilities as global citizens. A part of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, MxCC offers more than 70 degree or certificate programs at the 35-acre campus in Middletown, MxCC@Platt in Meriden, and online.

Media Contacts:
Maura O'Brien
Manager, External Communications & Community Relations, Stop & Shop
maura.obrien@stopandshop.com

Steven Minkler
Chief Executive Officer, Middlesex Community College
SMinkler@mxcc.commnet.edu

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/00cdbe74-f0ed-4077-a876-ea9a44bbe20d.